Snowshoe slipper



Oct. 2, 1945. s. CQRUECKER 2,385,944

' sNbwsHbE SLIPPER I Filed April 16, 1945 ATTQINI -15 H Patented Oct. 2, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE? Ernest C. Ruecker, Marquette, Mich.

Application April 16, 1945, Serial No. 588,441

8 Claims. 364.5)

Myinvention relates to improvements in snowshoe slippers.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a comfortable slipper-like removable attachment for a snowshoe which will have sufiicient resiliency to be readily adjusted over the footwear of the user without undue constriction or interference with blood circulation, and which will permit maximum freedom of snowshoe manipulation and instant release in case of an emergency.

More specifically, my object is to provide openbottomed slipper-like connections between a pair of snowshoes and the footwear of the user which may be composed almost wholly of resilient vulcanized rubber, suitably reenforced in the toe and instep portions, and adapted to be detachably connected by leather straps with the fulcrum bars of the snowshoes.

A further object is to provide such a slipper-like connection with a suspended tread plate to be interposed between the sole of a boot or shoe and the fulcrum bar of a snowshoe, and connected to the reeniorced portions of the slipper in such a manner as to avoid interference with perfect free dom of manipulation of the feet of the user when guiding the snowshoe.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved snowshoe slipper as it appears when connected with a snowshoe, a fragment of which is also shown.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the slipper, showing a portion of the snowshoe in longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the slipper as it appears when detached from the snowshoe.

Figure 4 is a reduced detail plan view of the triangular sole plate, with its strap-like extensions,

as it appears prior to its attachment to the slip- Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The toe portion H] of my improved slipper may be molded or shaped from a sheet of resilient vulcanized rubber, extended rearwardly in the form of a band-like ankle and heel enclosing portion I l. The toe portion-is preferably apertured at !2 for ventilating purposes and to lessen the constriction upon the shoe and foot of the user. A generally triangular tread plate 13 is loosely suspended from-the toe and ankle enclosing portions, respectively, by a toe band 14 and a pair of ankle bands I5. The toe band l4 extends from the forward apex of the sole plate 13 upwardly over the toe of the slipper and is vulcanized thereto, preferably with its extremity turned inwardly over the margin of the aperture l2. The bands l5 extend rearwardly and upwardly from the rear apices of the plate l3 and are vulcanized to the ankle band II on opposite sides of the ankle, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

Between the opening [2 in the toe of the slipper and the ankle band ll, an instep covering plate I8 has its central portion vulcanized to the instep of the slipper, with transversely extending free end portions each provided with a pair of slots 20 through which a leather strap 2| may be passed to connect this plate and also the toe portion of the slipper to the transverse, fulcrum bar 22 of the snowshoe.

As shown in the drawing, the central portion of the strap passes across the vulcanized portion of the plate l8 and then downwardly through one slot at each end of the plate, and around the tread bar 22, thence upwardly through the remaining slots, the ends of the strap being connected by a buckle 24 across said vulcanized portion of the plate. The strap thus provides two connectin bands between the slipper and the snowshoe, both of which pass over the plate H3 in parallel relation to each other.

All of the parts except the leather strap 2| and the buckle being composed of resilient vulcanized rubber, the slipper may be readily stretched over the footwear of the user and resiliently held thereto with sufiicient pressure to maintain the connection under all ordinary conditions of snowshoe use, while allowing the feet of the user to be instantly jerked away from the snowshoe in the event of a fall or an anticipated emergency. The bottom or tread plate l3 being loosely suspended from the other portions of the slipper by the free portions of the bands I4 and I5, the shoes of the user may be freely tilted over the fulcrum bar '22 to obtain a toe grip upon the mass of snow over which the snowshoes are being propelled.

I claim:

1. An open-bottomed slipper-like attachment for snowshoes composed of resilient rubber and havin a tread plate loosely suspended from the toe and ankle enclosing portions of the slipper by resiliently yielding bands, said slipper having a reenforced instep portion provided with a sub stantially unyielding flexible strap for securing it to the fulcrum bar of a snowshoe.

2. A slipper-like shoe receiving attachment for snowshoes, having in combination a toe portion extended rearwardly in the form of an ankle and heel encircling band, a reenforcing instep covering plate secured to the toe portion, and a flexible, substantially unyielding strap extending form of an ankle and heel encircling band, a

tread pad suspended below the toe portion by flexible straps connecting it with the respective sides of said band and with the front of the toe portion and strap means for connecting the attachmentto the tread bar of a snowshoe with the tread pad resting thereon.

4. An open-bottomed, slipper-like shoe receiv ing attachment for snowshoes, having, in combination, a reenforced toe portion, a tread pad 7 having its front margin resiliently connected with the reenforced toe portion and its rear margin similarly connected with the respective sides of the ankle encircling portion, and means for flexibly connecting the instep portion with the in]- crum bar of a snowshoe with the tread pad resting thereon.

5. The shoe receivin attachment set forth in claim 4, in which the instep covering portion is provided with a reenforcing ply having laterally extending end portions each provided with a pair of slots, and connecting means comprises a flexible strap adapted to be extended around the tread bar, through said slots and across the instep reenforcement between the slots substan tially as described.

\ 6. The shoe receiving attachment set forth in claim 4, in which all of the parts except said flexibly connecting means are composed of resilient rubber.

'7. An open-bottomed shoe receiving attachment for snowshoes, having, in combination, a resilient toe covering portion, an ankle and heel encircling band, a suspended tread plate and a flexible strap adapted to connect the toe covering portion with the fulcrum bar of a snowshoe.

8. The attachment set forth in claim 7, in which the toe covering portion is apertured and reenforced at the front and rear of said aperture. ERNEST C. RUECKER. 

